Mail Call
was a production of the Armed
Forces Radio Service (AFRS) created to raise the spirits of World War
2 service personnel and their families stationed around the world.
Originally created to keep them informed of events back home with
some lighter news and audio clips of movies and such, the program was
revised to be similar to the highly regarded Command
Performance. The program had
music, comedic bits, and other entertainment, from Hollywood’s
biggest stars who worked gratis.
Some of the Hollywood stars who were in the service at the time would appear on the program.
These AFRS programs were broadcast over the AFRS stations (even many Navy
ships had their own stations) and were never heard back in the USA. These unique programs
did have audiences where US personnel were stationed, however. Many
Brits and others within the signal of the BBC network heard these
programs through the BBC in cooperation with AFRS, spreading American
entertainment around the globe.
* * *
These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr.
Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering collector of radio recordings when
the hobby emerged in the 1960s. Digitizing his collection of reel
tapes and discs is the effort of a wide range of North American
volunteers, and includes assistance of some international collectors.
The groups supporting this effort with their funds, time, technology
and skills are the Old Time Radio
Researchers and a small group of transcription disc
preservationists who refer to themselves as the "The Knights of
the Turning Table."
